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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28530402">Curveball</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SVUProductions/pseuds/RookieRamsey'>RookieRamsey (SVUProductions)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Open Heart (Visual Novels)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Unplanned Pregnancy, daddy ethan, pregnancy fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:33:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,093</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28530402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SVUProductions/pseuds/RookieRamsey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After that night in the ski lodge, life throws them a surprise.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey, people! This is my first time posting on here in years, but I've spent the last year and a half posting Open Heart fics on tumblr. I go by rookie-ramsey on there and I thought I'd branch out by posting here, too. My MC is named Olivia.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The two pink lines staring back at her shouldn’t have been a surprise, yet her mind reeled at the sight of them.</p><p>
  <em>One percent.</em>
</p><p>That was her likelihood of conception when using birth control, which she practiced great care in taking responsibly. Yet the handful of white sticks in her hand all proved that sometimes, the seemingly impossible happened.</p><p>Well, shit.</p><p>It wasn’t that Olivia didn’t want kids. She did want them, but she had planned on waiting until she was a rich attending instead of a resident six figures in debt with a distinct inability to prepare edible meals.</p><p>Her heart thudded as she looked from one test to the other, each one confirming a pregnancy. Inhaling sharply, she disposed of them, burying them in the bottom of the trash can. She tried to steady her heartbeat, not entirely sure if it was panic, excitement, or some strange combination of the two.</p><p>Olivia washed her face and brushed her teeth, then tugged a sweater over her head and put on her makeup. Her stomach started to gurgle even though she’d bypassed breakfast.</p><p>Ignoring it, she hurried out the door, already at the risk of not being at work as early as she liked. </p><p>A short train ride did nothing to ease the storm of confusion and shock. Only when she stepped into the hospital was she able to divert her attention away from the fact that there was a person (almost person, she thought?) inside of her.</p><p>This early, Edenbrook was near silent as she made her way down the hallways, checking in on her patients’ vitals. She had some time before she had to report to the diagnostics office, so she grabbed a quick breakfast in the cafeteria.</p><p>As she ate her muffin, she just hoped that today would be busy enough to keep her distracted. She couldn’t keep a pregnancy secret for long, but a few more days of shock wouldn’t hurt.</p><p>Would it?</p><p>She made her way upstairs to Ethan’s diagnostics office. To her relief, there was a stack of new charts on the table. She joined her colleagues at the table. “Is that a new case?”</p><p>Ethan handed Olivia a chart and tried not to frown when her eyes darted, looking anywhere but his direction. “Yes. 51 year old male passed out behind the wheel of his car. He sustained minor injuries, but wants to know what caused the blackout.”</p><p>Olivia nodded, staring intently at the patient’s file. “Do we have a family history?”</p><p>June shook her head. “Not yet. I’ll take one from him.”</p><p>“We should do an MRI and CT,” Baz suggested. </p><p>“I agree. Maybe a tox screen, too.” Olivia stood up, and the simple action must have been a wrong move, because her stomach lurch uncomfortably. She waited until Baz and June left the room and were out of earshot before she turned her attention to Ethan.</p><p>Ethan glanced up from his file and arched a brow, a small smile pulling at his lips. “Yes?”</p><p>Olivia hesitated, her mouth twisting in thought. “I… uh, nothing. It can wait until later. I’ll go get started on the patient’s tox screen.”</p><p>Ethan’s brow furrowed. “You’re acting strange.”</p><p>“I’m not strange. I’m me,” she huffed, feigning offense. Suddenly, the nausea worsened, threatening to send up the blueberry muffin she’d eaten in the cafeteria. Cringing, she pressed her lips into a thin line, but the rise of bile in her throat sent her rushing to the small bathroom in the office.</p><p>Ethan blinked a few times, recovering from his surprise. He followed her to the bathroom and knelt behind her, holding her hair back. Olivia sighed and winced as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet.</p><p>“If you’re sick, you need to rest and not be around patients.”</p><p>“I’m not contagious.” Olivia shook her head, gagging. She flushed the toilet and fished a stick of minty gum from her pocket. </p><p>“How do you-” </p><p>Ethan stopped, his features etched with concentration. After several moments, their eyes met. His eyes widened as his mind put two and two together. The nausea, her sudden awkwardness…</p><p>“You’re…. are you… we…”</p><p>“Now is <em>not</em> the time for you to forget your ridiculously huge vocabulary, Ethan!”</p><p>“Are you pregnant?” he finally managed, steadying his voice. </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Bewildered, Ethan stared, reminding her of a deer caught in headlights. “Have you taken a test?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Olivia nodded.  “I know we always use protection, but I think the puked-up muffin I just flushed down the toilet is more proof that protection fails sometimes.”</p><p>Ethan ran a hand over his stubble, trying to bring his mind back down to earth. “How long have you known?”</p><p>“Three hours, maybe. I took the test right before I left my apartment.” Olivia let out a shaky sigh, a hard lump forming in her throat. “How… how do you feel about this?”</p><p>“How do <em>you</em> feel?”</p><p>“I asked first.”</p><p>Ethan nodded softly. “Fair enough. I’m… shocked. And… that’s quite honestly the only word I can think of right now.”</p><p>Olivia fell silent for a moment. “It <em>is</em> yours. I haven’t been with-“</p><p>“No, no, I know. I believe you.” Ethan gently settled his hand on her shoulder. “I just never expected this. It may take some time for the reality of it to set in.”</p><p>Relieved, she relaxed a little. Still, the surprise of it was enough to make her feel like pinching herself to see if she was dreaming or somehow stuck in a game of The Sims. But she knew by the butterflies in her stomach that this was very real. </p><p>Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and slipped her arms around Ethan’s waist. </p><p>Ethan wrapped his arms around her, hoping she couldn’t hear his heart race. The shock of it all clouded his mind, splitting him between panic and surprise. </p><p>For several long moments, neither of them spoke. Finally, she spoke up, mumbling softly against his shoulder. </p><p>“Now what?”</p>
<hr/><p>Olivia nervously drummed her fingers against the upholstery of the exam table as she waited for her OB/GYN to begin her appointment. They had scheduled her appointment with an OB/GYN outside of the hospital for now. </p><p>They’d only recently made their relationship public, and Olivia wasn’t ready for her news of her pregnancy to spread like wildfire.</p><p>She watched as Ethan paced, his hand rubbing his jaw in concentration. After several moments, Olivia sighed. “You’re going to have walked a mile just by pacing back and forth. It’s making me nervous.”</p><p>“Sorry.” Ethan stopped pacing, his expression unreadable. He stood next to the exam table and took her hand into his. “I’m nervous, too. I shouldn’t be, but…”</p><p>“It’s okay.” She squeezed his hand and looked up when the door opened. </p><p>“Hello. I’m Dr. Williams.”</p><p>Olivia leaned back against the exam bench. “I’m Olivia Winchester and this is Ethan Ramsey. We work at Edenbrook. We, uh… just wanted to do an initial consult. I took four tests three days ago and they all came out positive.”</p><p>“Of course. Can you lift up your shirt?”</p><p>She nodded, rolling up her shirt to expose her stomach. As the doctor spread the gel on her abdomen, she tightened her grip on Ethan’s hand. After a moment, he reacted, lacing his fingers through hers and squeezing.</p><p>Reassured, she relaxed and gazed up at the ceiling. Dr. Williams moved the wand around, and a minute later she glanced up. </p><p>“Judging by your scans, you’re around eight weeks along.”</p><p>“That sounds accurate. I missed my period a few weeks ago, but that’s happened before as a birth control side effect. I didn’t even suspect pregnancy until I started having morning sickness.”</p><p>“Well, you’re right to be surprised. The odds of conceiving while using birth control are tiny. And I think you’ve just defied the odds even more.”</p><p><br/>
Olivia frowned. “What do you mean?”</p><p>Her doctor adjusted the monitor so they could see it. Olivia stared at it, her mouth slowly dropping as she made out not one, but two tiny shapes on the screen. They were tiny, closely resembling beans, but distinct enough that Olivia could make out their shapes.</p><p>“I’m having twins?”</p><p>“It appears so. Ultrasounds have become far more effective at detecting multiples earlier in a pregnancy. Everything looks good now, but we’ll schedule an appointment for next month.”</p><p>“I… yeah. My brain stopped understanding words after I saw two beans on that screen.” Olivia took a wipe and cleaned the gel off her stomach. Her head spun, trying to remind her that she was a doctor who had no reason to be astonished at an incredibly rare, but possible occurrence.</p><p>Dr. Williams left the room, giving them some privacy. Olivia glanced over at Ethan, whose expression mirrored that of a terrified ghost. “You look as freaked out as I feel.”</p><p>Ethan shook his head, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. “I’m fine. Just… a little stunned.”</p><p>“You mean terrified?”</p><p>“Maybe that, too,” he admitted.</p><p>Olivia absently rubbed her stomach, still struggling to grasp the fact that in a matter of months, two tiny humans would enter her world. Understanding dawned on her as she did the math. “Nine weeks… that’s the night we spent in the ski lodge! I mean, we’ve been active since then, but…”</p><p>“The timing makes sense.”</p><p>“Are you… are you okay with this? I know it’s unexpected and we haven’t been a thing very long, but… I need to know if you’ll be okay with this.”</p><p>Quiet fell between them for several moments. Ethan nodded. “I am. It’s… it’s a lot to process. I won’t try to lie about that. But I’ll be okay. I would never leave.”</p><p>She sighed in relief and leaned against him, resting her chin on his shoulder. “Good.”</p><p>Maybe they could do this. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Medical school wasn’t enough to prepare her for morning sickness.  </p><p>It didn’t help that it struck at terribly inconvenient hours, such as two a.m., six in the evening, or three hours into her work shift. In the days following her appointment, Olivia and Ethan agreed to keep the news a secret as long as they possibly could, or at least until the end of her first trimester.</p><p>She spent that weekend at Ethan’s apartment. These nights had become more frequent since making their relationship public, and there was nothing she looked forward to more than curling up on his comfortable couch and making him watch a medical drama.</p><p>A fourteen-hour shift spent combatting the urge to puke all day only amplified that need. </p><p>From the moment they entered his apartment, she made a beeline for the couch. Olivia flopped unceremoniously onto it and grabbed the remote, turning on the TV.</p><p>“What do you want to eat?”</p><p>The mention of food put a twisted expression on her face. “Everything I’ve eaten today has made a dramatic reappearance, so nothing extreme. Maybe a baked potato or something.”</p><p>Nodding, Ethan stepped into the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later and joined her on the couch. Olivia moved to give him room to sit down, then rested her head on his lap.</p><p>She clicked through Netflix until she picked a Grey’s Anatomy episode. She set the remote aside and yawned. </p><p>“How are you feeling now?”</p><p>“I haven’t thrown up since lunch. That’s a start.” </p><p>Ethan rested his hand on her arm and rubbed gently. “Morning sickness is usually worse with multiples, but it should subside in a few weeks.”</p><p>“I hope so. I’d like to at least think about food without feeling like I’m going to regurgitate my entire digestive system.” Olivia rubbed her stomach thoughtfully. “I still can’t believe there’s two babies on the way. I should believe it since I’m a twin, but somehow it still sounds like the biggest surprise of my life.”</p><p>“The odds were astronomical. Even if you’re a twin yourself, the chance of conceiving them on birth control was extremely small.”</p><p>“Well… oops.” </p><p>Ethan chuckled softly and raked his fingers through her hair. “I suppose oops is an accurate summary.”</p><p>“It is.” Olivia nuzzled her head against his leg and sighed. She didn’t get up until the oven’s timer chimed, indicating that dinner was ready. Her stomach rumbled hungrily as she followed Ethan into the kitchen.</p><p>She tentatively took a bite of her potato, hungry but trying to avoid sending their apparently finicky, barely developed twins into a fit. “Yum. You know exactly how much cheese to put on it.”</p><p>“I am observant, you know.”</p><p>“And I appreciate that.” Grinning, she dug into her potato with a little more gusto, satisfied when her stomach seemed to accept it willingly. After dinner, they showered and curled up in Ethan’s bed.</p><p>For several minutes, they rested in near silence. After a while, Olivia nudged him gently, lifting her head from his chest. </p><p>“You’re quiet.”</p><p>“I know. I was just thinking.”</p><p>“About what? I mean, I know what, but what specifically?”</p><p>Ethan’s hand rubbed her side as he gazed up at the ceiling, his face furrowed in thought. “I’ve never been against the idea of having children. I just never expected it given my own experiences.”</p><p>“With your mom.”</p><p>He nodded. “Exactly. I’ll admit that it makes me a little scared of having children, but I would never let them grow up having to cope with a parent leaving them. I’ll never let them go through that.”</p><p>“I know.” Olivia leaned into him, rubbing his chest with her hand. “And you have every reason to freak out, but I know you’ll be a good father. You’re good at everything else under the sun, so why should parenting be any different?”</p><p>That earned a low laugh. He brushed his hand over her hair and pressed a light kiss to her head. “I’m not sure if parenting is in the same category as everything else I’m good at it.”</p><p>“Well, you survived supervising me during my intern year. That should have given you some preparation, even if it means we’ll be dealing with two mini-mes.”</p><p>“Help us all.”</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Olivia gently smacked his arm. She returned her head to his chest and lazily draped an arm across his abdomen. Comfortable and warm, she easily slipped into sleep.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>Keeping her pregnancy a secret was easy enough for a couple of weeks. </p><p>Olivia had spent enough time at Ethan’s apartment in recent weeks that nobody questioned the frequency of the nights she spent there. What didn’t help was the fact that her morning sickness liked to rear its head at work sometimes. For the most part, she was able to avoid dramatically exiting a room to throw up, but the unpredictability of it was certain to draw attention at some point.</p><p>It was just a matter of time before everyone would put the pieces together, if they hadn’t already. As her eleventh week of pregnancy gave way to the twelfth, her morning sickness subsided somewhat, but had yet to fully go away.</p><p>Shortly after her twelve-week appointment, she sat across from Ethan in his private office as they ate their lunch. She held a print-out of her sonogram in her hand and stared at it.</p><p>“I think they look like tadpoles right now.” She tucked the sonogram into a drawer of Ethan’s desk. “I think we should tell Naveen soon. We don’t have to tell everyone yet, but we should at least let him know.”</p><p>Ethan nodded. “Good point. I’d rather him hear it from us than from rumors.”</p><p>Fifteen minutes later, they made their way downstairs to Naveen’s office. Olivia couldn’t help but feel antsy as they approached his door. She slipped her hand into Ethan’s for a moment and squeezed before she released him to knock on the door.</p><p>When Naveen called them in, Olivia followed Ethan into the office. </p><p>“What brings my two favorite people here today?”</p><p>Olivia and Ethan sat down in the chairs across from Naveen’s desk. “I know we were just in here not that long ago to tell you that we’re dating, but we have something we need to tell you.”</p><p>Curious, Naveen directed his full attention to them. “And what is that?”</p><p>“There’s been an unexpected development.’</p><p>Olivia rolled her eyes at Ethan’s choice of words and tried to mask an amused smile. “We, uh…. we found out that I’m pregnant. I know it’s probably really surprising and maybe even sketchy on our part, but we felt it was better to tell you sooner rather than… why are you grinning?”</p><p>Naveen shook his head in amusement at her rambling. “You do know that my senses are far sharper than you realize? I knew the two of you were dating, or at least trying to, long before you told me.”</p><p>Ethan’s cheeks flushed. “We were trying to be subtle about that.”</p><p>“You’re good at many things, Ethan, but being subtle isn’t one of them.” Naveen leaned back in his chair. His smile didn’t leave his face. “How far along?”</p><p>“Twelve weeks. We found out three weeks ago and wanted to keep the news on the down low until the end of the first trimester.”</p><p>“Well, I’m fine with this, but there is one condition.”</p><p>“What’s that?”</p><p>“You bring that child to visit.”</p><p>Relieved, Olivia grinned. “Children. It’s actually twins.”</p><p>“So double the trouble.”</p><p>“Yep. Twice the shenanigans.”</p><p>They spoke to Naveen for a few minutes before leaving his office. In the elevator, Olivia let out a sigh, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders.</p><p>“That went really well. I don’t know why I was even nervous.” </p><p>Ethan squeezed her arm gently. “I was a bit nervous myself, but it helps having the acceptance.”</p><p>Nodding in agreement, she leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek just before the elevator doors slid open. They made their way down the hall and to the diagnostics office to retrieve the information on their newest case.</p><p>“Do you have a chart?”</p><p>Baz nodded and handed Ethan the file. “Madison Finley, five years old. Her pediatrician referred her here.”</p><p>“What are her symptoms?”</p><p>“Neck pain, headaches, vision problems and difficulty concentrating. Her pediatrician is concerned that it could be a brain tumor.”</p><p>Olivia studied the patient’s file. “The symptoms fit, but it also says that the vision and concentration issues have been present for years. Has she not had an MRI or CT scan before?”</p><p>June shook her head. “There have been changes in custody. She was recently adopted. Her former foster parents didn’t take her for tests.”</p><p>“The cause could be genetic. I can start some labs.” </p><p>Ethan nodded. “I’ll come with you.” He followed Olivia to the patient’s room, where the girl and her mother waited.</p><p>“Hi there. I’m Dr. Winchester, and this is Dr. Ramsey,” Olivia introduced.</p><p>The girl’s mother shook her hand. “Thank you for seeing her. I’m Clara. Madison’s been complaining about her head and neck hurting. At first, it would come and go, but it seems to be happening more often now.”</p><p>“We can definitely see what’s going on.” Olivia nodded and gave their young patient a grin. “Can I see your arm? I need to get some blood.”</p><p>Madison frowned, eyeing her warily. “Is it gonna hurt?”</p><p>“Well, it’ll hurt for a couple of seconds, but not long.”</p><p>“Okay.” Madison held out her arm. Olivia wiped the area with a sterile wipe and prepared the needle. She steadily inserted it, drawing the blood sample.</p><p>“There we go. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”</p><p>Madison shook her head. “Nope.”</p><p>A few minutes later, they took their young patient to the MRI room. Olivia showed Madison how to lie down flat against the table.</p><p>“What does this machine do?”</p><p>“It lets us look at your brain. You see that computer Dr. Ramsey is looking at? That’s where the picture of your brain will show up.”</p><p>“Cool!”</p><p>“It is cool, huh? The machine’s kinda loud, but try not to be scared. Are you ready?”</p><p>The little girl nodded. “Yeah.”</p><p>Olivia nodded at Ethan to start the MRI. She joined him next to the monitor and peered at the image that appeared on the screen. It blurred as Madison fidgeted inside the machine.</p><p>Ethan pressed the intercom button. “Madison, we need you to hold still.”</p><p>She huffed. “Holding still is hard.”</p><p>“Think of it like a game. If you can hold still and stay quiet long enough for us to get a good picture, you win.”</p><p>“I like games.” The little girl seemed to think it over, then relaxed, holding as still as possible.</p><p>Olivia smirked at Ethan. “A game? I’m suddenly getting the impression that you were asked to play the quiet game when you were a kid.”</p><p>Ethan grinned. “What could possibly give you that impression?”</p><p>“I dunno. Just the fact that you knew turning something into a game usually gets little kids to cooperate. That, and your dad told me you never stopped asking questions when you were little.”</p><p>Ethan chuckled. “I was inquisitive. I couldn’t help that.”</p><p>They returned their attention to the monitor and finished running Madison’s scans. Olivia pointed to a spot on the monitor. “There. There’s a tumor on her neck, right below the base of her skull. It’s probably pressing against a nerve, but it looks operable. And it’s almost certainly benign.”</p><p>“Good eye.” Ethan pressed the intercom button again. “You can get up now.”</p><p>Madison sat up. “Did I win? I held still the whole time and didn’t say anything.”</p><p>“You’re right. You did win.”</p><p>“What do I win?”</p><p>Ethan thought for a moment. “I don’t have anything at the moment, but I just might have a secret stash of candy.”</p><p>“Do you have chocolate?”</p><p>“I do, actually.”</p><p>“Okay.” Accepting the offer, Madison hopped off of the MRI bench. As they walked her back to her room, she surprised Ethan by reaching up and grabbing his hand. He startled for a moment, but didn’t pull away from her.</p><p>Olivia trailed shortly behind, unable to resist a grin as she followed them back to Madison’s room, where her mom waited.</p><p>“We have some news for you,” she addressed Madison’s mother. “Are you ready?”</p><p>Clara nodded. “Please tell me.”</p><p>“Madison has a tumor on her neck. It’s probably not far under the skin and pressing against a nerve. It would explain her headaches and neck pain. The tumor is operable and probably benign, but we’ll biopsy it to confirm.”</p><p>“What would have caused it?”</p><p>“Most likely, a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis type 1. I noticed that Madison had some spots that look like birthmarks on her arm. Those, combined with the tumor and concentration issues, are common symptoms. We’ll run her labs to confirm.”</p><p>“Is it treatable?”</p><p>“Well, it’s a lifelong condition, but the good news is that it’s almost always mild, and Madison’s case probably is, too. It can manifest in issues such as benign tumors, but they’re more of a discomfort than anything else.”</p><p>“So she’ll be okay?”</p><p>Olivia nodded. “She’ll be okay.”</p><p>They stayed in the room for a few minutes before they left. As they walked down the hall, Olivia smiled at him.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You are entirely too cute with pediatric patients.”</p><p>Ethan tried not to grin. “Stop.”</p><p>“Nope.” </p><p>Maybe the hormones were just making her more sentimental, but she suddenly found her mind swimming with excitement.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>“I can’t believe I’m finally going to see your childhood home.”</p><p>Ethan rolled his eyes as he started the car. “I didn’t realize it was that fascinating.”</p><p>“Are you joking? It’s the childhood home of Ethan Ramsey, renowned doctor, my boyfriend, and the father of my kids. Who knows what I’ll learn about you?”</p><p>“If Dad gets his way, probably a lot.” Shaking his head in amusement, Ethan merged onto the street and set course for Providence.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Two hours later, Ethan pulled into the driveway of his father’s house in Providence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So this is where you grew up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan nodded as he turned off the car. “Until I left for Hopkins, yes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t wait to see everything.” Olivia followed him to the front door. Ethan knocked, and a few moments later the door opened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alan grinned at them as he stepped aside to let them in. “It’s about time Ethan brought you here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been looking forward to it.” Olivia glanced around the living room, eagerly looking for glimpses of her boyfriend’s childhood. She smirked when she saw some framed pictures. “Please tell me you have photo albums.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do,” Alan confirmed, clearly amused. “We can look at them later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan’s cheeks flushed a little. “I don’t think there’s any need to show the photo albums.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia shook her head. “There’s absolutely a need! I just wanna see how cute little Ethan was.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>cute.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t wait to see.” Olivia squeezed Ethan’s arm. “Do I get a tour?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose so.” Ethan led her out of the living room and down the hall. He opened the door at the end of the hallway. “This was my room when I was growing up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exciting.” Olivia followed him into the cozy bedroom. She walked around, taking in her surroundings. A row of trophies adorned the dresser. Curious, she picked one up. “You got MVP on your high school basketball team?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. I could have pursued it in college for an athletic scholarship, but my grades were high enough to get an academic scholarship, so I decided not to spend my studying time on a sport.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nerd,” she teased, setting the trophy down. “I tried playing basketball once.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I sprained my ankle at the auditions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan snorted. “I think you mean tryouts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, either way, our kids are gonna be giants. They’ll either be good at everything like you or athletically challenged like me. We’ll see how it goes for them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan sat on the bed, watching as she studied every inch of his room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia glanced at the wall, noticing the picture framed behind the trophy.  “There’s teenage you in your jersey! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course </span>
  </em>
  <span>you looked like a flawless movie teen in high school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe, but middle school was a different story.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Duh. That’s why nobody talks about their middle school days. Were you a gangly kid with braces and pants you outgrew every month?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Close enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia laughed, reading the certificate framed next to his basketball picture. “An orchestra certificate. You told me you played the cello and set fire to someone’s shed when they broke it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a little terrifying.” Olivia sat down next to him on the bed. “I was thinking we can meet up with my mom and siblings next week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How much do they know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That I’ve been dating you for a while. They don’t know I’m pregnant. I thought we could tell them when they come to Boston.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan nodded. “I can make dinner.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yum. I’ll see if they come in next weekend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later, they returned to the kitchen, where Alan was finishing dinner. “Did Ethan show you his trophies?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He did. I still wanna see his childhood pictures, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll look at those after dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yay.” Olivia grinned and sat next to Ethan. “That alfredo smells delicious. Ethan made it not long ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, he did learn it from me.” Alan joined them at the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They started eating, and a few minutes into dinner, Olivia gave Ethan a curious glance. He read the unspoken question in her eyes and nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad, there’s something we wanted to tell you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly flustered, Ethan started spilling out words. “We’re pregnant. I mean, Olivia’s pregnant. With a baby. More than one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia rolled her eyes. “Since Ethan just forgot how to make sentences, I’ll translate. You’re going to be the grandfather of twins.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alan gaped, staring at them for a moment. After several seconds, he grinned. “Well, how about that? I wasn’t expecting that, but I can’t wait to spoil them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After dinner, Olivia and Ethan sat on the couch in the living room. Alan handed Olivia a photo album, which she eagerly accepted. She excitedly rubbed her hands together and opened the front cover. Immediately, a wide smile formed on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s your handprint!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan nodded. “Yes. I was two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a really big handprint for a two-year-old.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alan chuckled. “And they were everywhere</span>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The couch, the wall, the floor… he ran through the house touching everything he passed because he wanted his handprints on </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“So the lesson learned is to buy washable paint.” Laughing, Olivia turned to the next page. She smiled as she flipped through the pages, stopping when she reached one of him as a young child, sitting on the couch and pensively reading a book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When he wasn’t asking questions, he usually had his nose in a book.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He hasn’t changed much, then. At least we know our kids are gonna be cute little geniuses.” Olivia continued to look at the album, her lips curling into a soft smile as she admired her boyfriend’s childhood pictures. When she reached the end of it, she set it on the coffee table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan shook his head in amusement. “You seem pleased.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ I’d like to hear more delightful stories about young Ethan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alan grinned. “Of course. Would you like to hear about the times he played detective or when he used to pretend he was a chef with his own restaurant?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Certain that her face would split in two if she grinned any wider, Olivia giggled. “I think I need to hear both of these stories.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sighing in defeat, Ethan groaned and leaned back against the couch, but the corners of his lips twitched into the hints of an amused smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>XXXXXX</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As scheduled, Olivia’s mother and siblings traveled to Boston the following weekend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was helping Ethan fix dinner when there was a knock on the door. Ethan watched as she set the spoon down and left the kitchen to answer it. She returned a minute later, trailed by her siblings and her mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ethan, this is my mom, my twin brother Jackson, and my little sister Lizzie,” she introduced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lizzie smirked. “So he </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>real. I was still pretty sure you were making him up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jackson snorted. “It’s not like she doesn’t bombard our group text with pictures covered in heart emojis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curious, Ethan arched a brow. “She does?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All the time. It’s nauseatingly cute.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ignore them, Ethan. I’m Rebecca,” Olivia’s mother introduced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan nodded. “It’s nice to meet you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grinning, Olivia slung an arm around her mom’s shoulders. “We look a lot alike, don’t we? Now you know how great I’ll look at 100.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m 60, brat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia ducked in time to avoid the playful smack. “Dinner should be ready soon. I asked Ethan to make this fancy chicken that tastes really good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It certainly smells good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It should be finished in less than ten minutes.”</span>
</p><p>“Great. We’ll embarrass our sister at dinner.”</p><p>
  <span>Ethan grinned as Olivia’s cheeks flushed. “I look forward to that. The tables are turning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later, Ethan pulled the chicken out of the oven. He checked the temperature, then set it on the table. Everyone filled their plates and started eating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is excellent, Ethan,” Rebecca complimented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Lizzie agreed. “It’s a good thing you can cook, because you’d either starve or die in a burning apartment if you had to count on Olivia to make dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia rolled her eyes. “I set fire </span>
  <em>
    <span>one </span>
  </em>
  <span>time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I need to hear about this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Mom was working late, and Jackson was at football practice. Olivia was sixteen and I was eleven. She decided she was going to make dinner instead of ordering pizza. She didn’t put enough water in the noodles and they caught fire.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So then she called me and demanded that I come home from football practice to help cover up the evidence,” Jackson added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan chuckled. “I suspected she was mischievous.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rebecca nodded. “Tell me about it. All three of them were mischievous, but she was almost always the instigator of their shenanigans. When Lizzie was a baby, Olivia convinced Jackson to help her do an experiment on her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What kind of experiment?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They drew on her with different markers to see which ones washed off easily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia snickered. “Well, my predictions were right. I predicted the Sharpies would be on her skin for at least a few days. I also predicted we’d be in time out if you caught us, which also happened. So that experiment was a success, even if it meant I got my markers taken away for a month.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then there was the time she was playing doctor in first grade and told her classmate who skinned his knee that he was going to lose his leg. I had to sit through a parent conference over that one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan laughed. “Why am I not surprised?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia grinned, taking a bite of chicken. After a few minutes, she glanced at her family. “There’s actually a reason we invited you to dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean you didn’t just want our company? Rude,” Jackson scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that, but there’s also an announcement I need to make.” Olivia set her fork down and took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m pregnant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their eyes widened. For several moments, they stared at her. Then her mom leaned over and hugged her. “I’m so excited for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow. I thought you were gonna say you two eloped, but that’s pretty big news, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How far along are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thirteen weeks.” Olivia absently smoothed a hand over her stomach and glanced at her twin brother. “And it’s actually twins.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell yeah!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess they really do run in the family. I mean, I knew that, but it’s still pretty shocking I’ll be dealing with two kids who probably act like we did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be fine,” Rebecca assured her. “They’ll probably test your patience to its absolute limit, but you’ll love it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just don’t let them use a younger sibling as a lab rat in six years,” Lizzie added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No promises.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of dinner passed with lively conversation and banter. After dinner, Olivia’s family left for their hotel. She sighed contentedly and followed Ethan to the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you think of my family?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like them. I see where you get a lot of your personality.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia rested her head on his shoulder. “I guess I can start telling my friends next. It won’t be long before I start showing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan slipped his arm around her. “You’ve been spending more time here, and given the situation… I think now would be the right time to suggest that you move in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Officially? I get to live in your really expensive apartment?” Olivia leaned up, pressing a kiss to his lips. “Of course I want to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” Ethan grinned, gently brushing his lips against hers. “When do you want to start?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Soon. I want to get my stuff moved before I’m huge.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright. I’ll help you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia leaned into him, absently rubbing her stomach. Sometimes, it still felt impossible to wrap her mind around the fact that she was going to be a parent. Still, she couldn’t resist the increasing excitement she felt as snuggled closer to Ethan’s side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, she didn’t feel worried anymore.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I have an announcement to make.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words left Olivia’s mouth in a rush, easily catching the attention of her friends as they ate lunch in the doctor’s lounge. They eyed her curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jackie arched a brow at her. “You already told us the other day you’re moving in with Ramsey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s more.” Olivia shook her head as she sat down. “And it won’t bother or even surprise me if any of you already suspected this, but… I’m pregnant. About thirteen weeks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A long moment of silence followed her words as everyone took in her announcement. Sienna was the first to react, smiling widely at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long have you known? I’m guessing Ethan already knows and that’s why you’re moving in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia nodded, rubbing her stomach. “We’ve known for about four weeks. I didn’t want to spread the word until the first trimester was over. Ethan and I had already talked about moving in, but we didn’t really make a decision on it until the other day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One rule. You still have to visit and bring the baby with you.” Elijah grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Babies.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Babies? </span>
  </em>
  <span>As in twins?” Sienna’s eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep. I almost hit the floor when the OB/GYN told me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bryce grinned. “Double the trouble. I can’t wait until they’re old enough to come here so I can put them up to stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s a good thing you’re moving in with Ethan. There’s no way we could ever sleep with </span>
  <em>
    <span>two </span>
  </em>
  <span>screaming babies in our apartment,” Jackie teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ethan’s place is way bigger than ours. It only makes sense to move in now, and I want to move my stuff soon. It’s just a matter of time before I start showing and get too fat to do anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, we’ll help however we can,” Sienna assured her. “And I just decided that I’m planning a baby shower for you. It’s official.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia laughed. “I’ll clear my schedule.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>XXXXXX</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I finished putting my clothes in your closet.” Feeling accomplished, Olivia sighed in relief and joined Ethan in the kitchen, where something mouth-watering wafted from the oven.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t sure it was possible for you to </span>
  <em>
    <span>own </span>
  </em>
  <span>this much stuff in your tiny bedroom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia shrugged. “I have my ways. Besides, there’s so much extra space in your place that my stuff barely makes a dent. Your closet alone is as big as my old bedroom was.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know we’re moving in together and we’ll be raising two kids… but we need to make sure we know what we want. I know I love you and I want our kids to have the best life we can give them, but I need to know that we aren’t just living together </span>
  <em>
    <span>because </span>
  </em>
  <span>of the babies. Our relationship with each other is still important.”</span>
</p><p>Ethan’s face furrowed in thought for a moment. He gently pulled her next to him. “I know I love you, too. There’s something about you that makes me feel things that I’ve never felt before, not with anyone. Things that I didn’t think I would ever feel.”</p><p>
  <span>“So… what does that mean? Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like that, yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia grinned. “Even when I burn dinner, talk in my sleep, walk around the house in your shirts and no pants, and make you watch my shows with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even in all of those situations,” he confirmed, the corners of his lips curling into a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm.” Olivia rested her head on his shoulder, her expression growing serious. “I don’t think I want to plan a wedding on top of a pregnancy. If we decide to get married, all we have to do is sign a certificate. A ceremony could wait. For now, I say we live together, keep enjoying our relationship, and focus on getting these babies out of me and keeping them alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think those all sound like good ideas.” Ethan slipped his fingers under her chin and tilted her head back. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like to think all of my ideas are good.” Once their lips parted, she shifted on the couch until her head rested on his lap. She smiled lazily at him. “You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>comfy.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan combed his fingers through her hair. “I certainly try to be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nuzzled her head into his hand and took his free hand into her own. Intertwining their fingers, she squeezed softly. “Now that the news is out, I think we’re a hot topic at the hospital.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are people saying?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mostly just spreading the news. It’s not like we can keep a pregnancy a secret forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nodding, Ethan raised her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss against her knuckles. “Alright. Just let me know if anyone tries to imply anything they shouldn’t about you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amused, she grinned. “Why? Would you start a duel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but I’d certainly address it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My knight in a shining white coat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>XXXXXX</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Olivia predicted, she seemed to double in size in the next three weeks. She stood in front of the full length mirror and huffed as she discarded a shirt that stretched at the buttons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I need to go clothes shopping while we’re out. All of my shirts are either really snug or don’t fit at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can do whatever you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia nodded as she slipped into her shoes and followed Ethan to her car. Despite only being sixteen weeks along, she wanted to start buying for their nursery so they could have it ready sooner rather than later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Ethan drove to the shop, Olivia browsed through the endless Pinterest board she had started containing nursery ideas. “I narrowed it down from 28 ideas to 16. I think that’s a victory in itself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they reached the store, she led the way inside. She let out a low whistle at the sight of baby merchandise lining the store from wall to wall. “I guess we should start by picking out cribs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They found the furniture section in the middle of the store and started browsing the options. Ethan took out his phone and opened a note. “I made a list of the most highly-rated ones.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded. “There’s a list of models that were recalled because of safety reasons. I wanted to make sure we didn’t end up with one of those contraptions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been researching cribs? That’s... adorable. And surprisingly, it’s somehow a very Ethan thing to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since when is my name an adjective?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since now, when I made it one.” Laughing, she ran her hand along the side of a nice wooden crib. “What about this one? Is it on the banned list?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan typed in the model name. When nothing of concern appeared in the results, he shook his head. “No. No safety recalls.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. I like this one. We’ll order two and get the matching changing table.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Content with their selection, she found the bedding aisle. Bedding sets of every color, material, and pattern imaginable lined the racks. Olivia stopped every few feet to investigate a set, trying to find one that fit one of the multiple design ideas she had in mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This looks like something you said you liked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes widened when she saw the set Ethan gestured to. “Polar bears! How did you know they were my favorite?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You spent five minutes staring at the pictures on Pinterest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Excited, she grabbed two of the polar bear bedding sets. “This is it. I’m showering these babies with a polar bear themed nursery. They’re my favorite animal and I’ll be damned if they’re not the babies’ favorite, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there a reason why you’re being cute?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia grinned. “I didn’t think I needed a reason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sensing that they would be buying more items, she grabbed a nearby abandoned shopping cart and put the bedding inside it. She set off in search of more items for the nursery, leaving Ethan to follow her with the cart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they reached the next aisle and she passed a mobile that matched the bedding, she stopped so abruptly that Ethan almost ran into her with the shopping cart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re buying these.” She added two of the polar bear mobiles to the cart. “My mission today is to find as much stuff that matches the theme as possible. It doesn’t even have to be completely necessary. If it’s a polar bear themed nursery item, we’re buying it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Understood. Does this lamp meet your expectations?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia’s eyes widened. “It </span>
  <em>
    <span>exceeds </span>
  </em>
  <span>my expectations. Cart. Now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan chuckled softly, adding one to their rapidly growing pile of items. Something about her unbridled excitement made him forget any apprehensions he had, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe </span>
  </em>
  <span>he was just growing soft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And somehow, he didn’t feel the least bit ashamed of that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Twenty minutes later, they’d covered the entirety of the store, buying anything that fit in with Olivia’s polar bear theme. They made their way to the checkout and put their items on the conveyor belt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he handed his card to the cashier, he arched a brow at Olivia. “What’s so funny? You’re still grinning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You called me cute today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Twenty minutes ago? I’ve done that before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s still surprising that the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>cute </span>
  </em>
  <span>is a part of The Ethan Ramsey’s vocabulary.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan grinned. “I’ll have you know that I am full of surprises.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they had their items bagged, Olivia helped him carry them to the car. “All that shopping made me hungry. I think the twins want some lunch before I go shopping for maternity clothes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what do they want to eat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pasta. They’re in a carbs mood this morning. I think the cravings are becoming a daily thing now.” She smoothed a hand over her stomach when it rumbled hungrily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pasta it is.” Ethan drove to a nearby Italian restaurant they frequented, where they settled into a cozy booth and ordered their lunch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I really liked seeing you shop for baby stuff today. The fact that you actually researched things was… well, it was pretty amazing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan’s face furrowed in thought. “I’d be lying if I said I don’t still feel nervous about this sometimes. But something about your excitement makes me realize that I shouldn’t be worried.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded, resting his hand on top of hers. “Really. It’s contagious, actually. Seeing you today, enthusiastic about everything, honestly makes me feel far more relieved and even excited.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this point, she could no longer tell if it was the pregnancy hormones making her giddy. Had she smiled any wider, her face probably would have split in two. “Ethan, that’s the best news I’ve heard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” His thumb rubbed the back of her hand. “Because I want this to work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It will. I know it will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt sure of that.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>At the halfway mark of her second trimester, Olivia was quite certain she doubled in size overnight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Over time, Ethan’s spare bedroom turned into a storage space for nursery items. Once all of the furniture had been delivered, they picked out the paint for the walls. Ethan probably would have insisted on doing everything himself, but Olivia recruited help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When there was a knock on the door, she opened it to let Bryce, Baz, and Zaid into the apartment. “Did you three carpool?”</span>
</p><p><span>Zaid sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. </span><em><span>Certain</span></em><span> occupants</span> <span>of the car felt the need to sing during the entire ride.”</span></p><p>
  <span>Feigning offense, Bryce frowned. “What’s the point of driving anywhere if you’re not going to put on a concert?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got a speeding ticket.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which I’ll pay!” Bryce turned to Olivia. “Nursery Assistance Crew is here to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” Olivia grinned and led the way to the spare room, where Ethan was opening the cans of light gray paint for the walls. Curious to see how things would play out, she leaned in the doorway to observe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bryce and Ethan carefully poured the paint into trays while Baz and Zaid spread drop cloths to protect the floor from spills. Once the floor was sufficiently protected, Ethan passed out paint brushes and rollers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we each paint one wall, we’ll have the room painted quickly. We can paint the first layer and assemble the furniture while we wait for it to dry. It only takes a couple of hours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good delegation. Aye aye, Captain.” Bryce saluted with the paint roller, earning an eye roll in response. They each dipped their rollers in paint and started working on the walls. The first minute passed in silence before Bryce started whistling. A moment later, Baz joined in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zaid let out a groan. “First the concert in the car and now </span>
  <span>this</span>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan rolled his eyes, focusing on painting. “If the two of you are going to whistle, could you </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>whistle Christmas music in August?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could always whistle WAP,” Bryce suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It only took a second for Ethan to shake his head. “No. Absolutely under </span>
  <span>no </span>
  <span>circumstances will you do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Ethan predicted, it didn’t take long for the four of them to place the first layer of paint. He wiped his hands on a towel and nodded in approval at their handiwork. “Not bad. We can put the furniture together while we wait.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They opened the box that contained the first crib. Ethan spread the parts across the floor and eyed them, comparing them to the picture on the front of the box.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright. I can handle this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia pointed at the booklet lying on the floor. “There’s an instruction manual right there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baz arched a brow. “Famous last words, boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve read more books than the rest of us combined and you won’t read a manual? That’s a new level of stubborn.” Bryce smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The picture is guidance enough.” Ethan knelt down and sorted through the parts until he found the pieces that he presumed would compose the bottom frame. He linked them together, forming a crib-sized rectangle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He then found the legs and attached them. So far, everything seemed to resemble the picture, so he reached for the screwdriver to tighten everything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And… crash.” Bryce laughed when his words timed almost perfectly with the collapse of the crib parts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t have the parts tight enough. Everything was correct.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think this is why manuals are included in these things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those are always badly written with poor excuses of diagrams. They’re a waste of paper and time.” Ethan shook his head, picking up the fallen pieces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I bet you ten dollars I can build the other crib faster than you without looking at the instructions,” Bryce proposed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a bet.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zaid rolled his eyes. “What are </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> supposed to do while you two participate in this competition? Just stand here and look pretty?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bryce nodded. “Got it in one, Dr. M! We need an audience.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan turned his head toward the door when the smell of warm butter permeated his senses. “When did you get popcorn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia shrugged, scooping up a handful of the fluffy white kernels. “A few seconds after you decided not to look at the manual. I knew I was in for some entertainment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It </span>
  <em>
    <span>has </span>
  </em>
  <span>been rather amusing.” Baz grinned, accepting a handful of popcorn when she offered him the bowl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sat on one of the furniture boxes and nestled the bowl on her lap. “I’m curious to see who actually builds a crib first without it collapsing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bryce cracked his knuckles. “Ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia and Baz set timers on their phones. “Alright. The race is on in three… two… one… go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rolling his eyes, Ethan started rummaging through the parts to determine which ones actually went together. After some careful matching, he successfully formed the base of the crib. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Working a little faster, Bryce fastened one of the crib legs. “I’m one move ahead of you, Ramsey. You’ll be eating my dust.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laughing, Olivia started dictating in her best impression of  a sports announcer's voice. “Lahela is just ahead of Ramsey, but will the fast results hold up?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan glanced up. “When did we become an Olympic sport?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just now,” Olivia confirmed. “Extreme Crib Assembly is officially my favorite part of the Olympics.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later, Bryce stepped back from the crib and threw his hands up. “Done!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baz hit the button on his timer. “Thirteen minutes and twenty-one seconds,” he confirmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thirteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds for Ethan.” Olivia rubbed her hands together. “The true test is to make sure both cribs are put together correctly. Bryce may have finished first, but if his crib has a problem, he still loses.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never.” Bryce shook his head and handed her one of the instruction manuals so she could check over their finished cribs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia glanced from the booklet to the cribs, nodding as she confirmed that the parts on both cribs were in their proper places. She tried to give each one a firm shake, pleased when they remained steady.</span>
</p><p>“And it looks like both cribs are a success! This means Lahela wins by a narrow six seconds!”</p><p>
  <span>“What do I win?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ethan’s ten dollars and… the rest of this popcorn, because I want pizza.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take it.” Bryce accepted the bowl and grinned. “Looks like all those hours in the OR </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>help with putting furniture together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sighing in defeat, Ethan reached into his wallet and surrendered a ten dollar bill to him. Once they had the cribs settled into their places, they worked on the changing table. Olivia left the room to order some pizzas, but quickly returned so she wouldn’t miss out on the banter occurring in the soon-to-be nursery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take the four of them long to assemble the changing table and rocking chairs.  When the pizzas arrived, they took a break and sat down at the kitchen table. Olivia bypassed the chair, opting instead to sit on Ethan’s lap. Instinctively, Ethan slipped his arm around her waist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How cute.” Baz grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bryce smiled mischievously. “Whipped.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zaid shrugged when Bryce and Baz turned to him as if they expected him to join in on the teasing. “No comment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come on. Watching them is as fun as watching you and Ines.” Baz’s grin widened as his twin’s cheeks flushed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia chuckled, biting into a piece of pizza. “We </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>cute. I’ll accept your compliments.”</span>
</p><p>After lunch, she curled up on the couch to watch TV while everyone else finished the nursery. She dozed off, waking up when Ethan joined her on the couch.</p><p>
  <span>“Hi. Did everyone go home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan nodded and looped his arm around her. “We finished. I suppose that went faster than it would have if I’d tried to do it by myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt movement in her stomach, stronger than she had before. Gasping softly, she grabbed Ethan’s hand and pressed it to her abdomen. “Wait a second. You may be able to feel them this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan held still. A few moments later, he could feel a little flutter against his palm. Unable to resist, his lips twisted into a smile. His eyes softened, more affectionate than she had ever seen before. Olivia grinned and rested her hand on top of his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If my phone wasn’t all the way over there, I’d take a picture of you right now because that’s the cutest facial expression I’ve ever seen on your face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let out a low chuckle. “And give you a chance to put ridiculous filters on my face for the world to see? I don’t think so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The world loves your face, ridiculous filters or not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan’s hand rubbed gently against her stomach, earning another tiny motion in response. His brow knitted in thought. “It’s a little strange, how…. </span>
  <em>
    <span>different</span>
  </em>
  <span> this makes me feel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good different or bad different?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good different,” Ethan assured her, smoothing his free hand over her hair. “It almost makes me wonder why I had worries about anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good, because we’re halfway there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>XXXXXX</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Presents of every shape and size occupied their living room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Between the balloons, streamers, and the huge banner, Olivia felt almost certain that an entire aisle of baby shower decorations had exploded in their apartment. She grinned and snagged a cookie from a platter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sienna, everything looks delicious. It’s a good thing I’m eating for three, because I plan on eating at </span>
  <span>least </span>
  <span>one of everything,” she declared, licking icing from her fingers as Ethan joined them in the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sienna smiled as she put the finishing touches on a tower of cupcakes. “These were so much fun to make!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They look so cute. Every time I try to bake or cook, things go horribly wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They really do, don’t they?” Ethan agreed, a teasing glint appearing in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s like the time she burnt Christmas cookies the day after Halloween.” Sienna grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan shook his head. “She beat that this year. She set off the smoke alarm making gingerbread men last week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia feigned offense, putting her hands on her hips. “Are you two ganging up on me? Because I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>get Naveen to help me taunt you, Ethan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you already do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yes. But I won’t hesitate.”  Shaking her head, Olivia finished her cookie and watched as their guests finished piling presents on the table. “What kind of shenanigans are we getting into today?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll see,” Sienna promised.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter Six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The baby shower began with lunch. Olivia got to go first, making sure to take at least one of everything. She took a seat next to Ethan at the table and leaned against his side as they started eating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How does it feel seeing a baby shower in your apartment? It looks like the baby aisle at Walmart exploded in here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan chuckled. “I’m more concerned about what the conversation over there is related to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She arched a brow, watching curiously as Sienna whispered with Olivia’s mother and siblings and Alan in the corner of the room. “What could our relatives be gossiping about? My sister is </span>
  <em>
    <span>writing </span>
  </em>
  <span>something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard to tell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes, Sienna stood up and grinned. “We’re going to warm up with a little guessing game. I’ll tell a childhood story about one of the parents, and you guys get to guess who it was!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia couldn’t contain an amused smirk. “I guess this means I get to hear some more delightful Little Ethan stories.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Apparently so.” Ethan sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sienna glanced down at the paper and giggled before reading. “This parent used to wear a white bathrobe and plastic stethoscope and played hospital with stuffed animals. Who thinks that was Olivia?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Several hands went up. Ethan bit back a smirk as her cheeks flushed a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right,” her mom confirmed. “She waltzed around the house in a little white robe, used every room in the house as a hospital room for her ‘patients,’ and insisted that we had to give them privacy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It sounds like I’m finally getting some blackmail material,” Ethan whispered, earning an eye roll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure you are. Nothing will ever be more embarrassing than little you making out with your teddy bear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sienna moved onto the next one. “True or false! When Ethan was really little, he had a fascination with Band-Aids.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do I think that’s true?” Olivia grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because it is</span>
  <em>
    <span>,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Alan confirmed. “When he was a toddler, all it took was a box of Band-Aids to keep him amused for several minutes. Of course, he put them on </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything </span>
  </em>
  <span>he could get his hands on. His toys, the furniture… the interior of the car on a road trip.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia laughed. “That’s adorable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s wasteful.” Ethan shook his head, trying not to smile. The game continued for several minutes until people were finished eating. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curious, Olivia watched as Sienna set out several unlabeled jars of baby food. “What are those for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sienna grinned. “People have to guess the flavor by smelling it or taking a tiny taste if they’re brave enough. Just a heads up, the smells and tastes may not always be accurate!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who goes first?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You pick.” Sienna handed her a basket containing slips of paper. Olivia reached it into, digging her fingers through the papers until she picked one. She opened it slowly to increase the suspense and smirked when she read the name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zaid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zaid startled, his eyes widening. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amused, Olivia revealed the paper slip with his name on it. “You get to go first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ines laughed and nudged Zaid toward the table. “Do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed. “I should have listened to my conscience and not put my name on that paper. I should have known better.”</span>
</p><p>Baz rolled his eyes and grinned. “Okay, Eeyore. Be a fair sport and play the game.”</p><p>
  <span>Giving in, Zaid picked up the first jar and took a tentative sniff. He immediately set it down. “Is that supposed to smell edible? Because it does </span>
  <em>
    <span>not.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He jotted down an answer on the slip of paper and reluctantly moved to the next one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia picked the second name. “Bryce, you’re up. Don’t chicken out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think I’d really back down? Never.” He picked up the first jar and smelled it, wrinkling his nose with uncertainty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jackie snorted. “I’ll pay you ten bucks to taste a mouthful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Deal.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sienna handed Bryce a clean tongue depressor from the bag of supplies. “Here you go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan arched a brow. “Are those from the hospital?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We didn’t have enough plastic spoons!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stealing an entire Ziploc baggie of tongue depressors from a hospital that has thousands of them? Badass.” Bryce laughed and dug out a scoop of the baby food. He put it in his mouth, immediately making a face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ten dollars,” Jackie reminded him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bryce swallowed it and tried not to gag. “That… was gross. Zaid, I’ll do your clinic hours if you try it.”</span>
</p><p><span>Zaid rolled his eyes. “Do I look</span> <span>like a moron? Don’t answer that.”  </span></p><p>
  <span>After a few more games, they sat down to open the inordinate number of presents occupying their apartment. Olivia grabbed the first one and dug through the tissue paper until she found two tiny sets of pajamas designed to look like scrubs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These are so cute!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elijah grinned. “You’re welcome.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia picked a large present from her mom and nudged it toward Ethan. “Open that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan removed the paper, exposing a box that seemed to contain some sort of sophisticated trash can. “What in god’s name is this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia laughed. “It’s a diaper genie! It’s basically a fancy trash can that’s supposed to contain the diaper smell inside them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These exist?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rebecca chuckled. “Yes, and believe me, you’ll need it. If not for the diaper smell, then to stop them from getting into it when they learn to walk. When Olivia was a year old, she felt like knocking over a trash can full of diapers. Worst mess I ever had to clean up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really, Mom?” Olivia groaned. She opened the next present, which was from Sienna. She opened it and grinned as she dug out two stuffed dolphins, as well as two little onesies with dolphins on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love them!” Olivia folded the tiny outfits and put them back in the bag. She opened several more gifts, collecting plenty of clothes, diapers, and other necessities. When she opened the present from Baz, she giggled and held up the four matching sets of Christmas pajamas.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan stared at them, his expression blank. “It’s October.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baz grinned. “So?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These are </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And I will make it my life’s goal to get Ethan to wear his.” Olivia gave Ethan a pointed look, wordlessly telling him he would not win the argument even if it wouldn’t happen for another two months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once most of her guests had left, Olivia curled up on the couch and rummaged through the gifts. Bryce and Sienna stayed to help her family clean up while Ethan helped her sort through their presents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think this is my favorite.” She held up the picture frame from Alan, containing a copy of one of their sonograms and an empty slot they would use for a newborn picture when the twins were born. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan thumbed through the customized journal from Naveen. His other hand subconsciously rested on Olivia’s stomach, and a moment later he felt the now-familiar little kick against his palm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia smiled, lightly placing her hand on top of his. “I don’t think you’ll ever know how cute you are when you do that. I don’t even think you realize you’re doing it half the time.”</span>
</p><p>“I guess it’s become an instinct.” Ethan slipped his arm around her. </p><p>
  <span>“A cute instinct.” She gave his hand a squeeze. Stifling a yawn, she rested her head on his shoulder. “I can’t believe it’s already October. By December, they’ll be here. I feel like it’s gone by fast and slowly at the same.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nodding in agreement, Ethan pressed a kiss to her head. “How are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tired. Opening presents and eating is a lot of work when you have two people inside of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled and drew her closer to his side. “I’m sure it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia draped her arm across him and snuggled into his chest. A mischievous smile lifted the corners of her lips. “I never thought I’d see Dr. Antisocial Ramsey attending a baby shower.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan rolled his eyes. “You forget that I’m capable of surprises.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>XXXXXX</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for maternity leave to give her cabin fever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Since twins were almost always born earlier than expected, she scheduled her C-section for the 37th week. Even that was pushing it, but she wanted to let them develop as long as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Halfway through her fourth episode of </span>
  <em>
    <span>House, </span>
  </em>
  <span>her phone chimed with a message from Ethan. She picked up her phone and grinned when she saw a picture of two baby onesies, each with the caption “Relax, my parents are doctors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grinned as she looked at the picture to see that the onesies were blue and green to match Edenbrook’s logo. She typed a response, glancing at the time and realizing she would need to get ready for her appointment soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she showered and dressed, a kick in her abdomen reminded her of just how soon their lives would change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>XXXXXX </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As 1:30 approached, Ethan slipped out of his office to meet Olivia for her 35-week appointment. He pocketed his phone and car keys and made his way toward the elevator.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ethan!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan stopped, turning at the urgency of the voice behind him. He frowned, seeing Sienna rush toward him. “What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words left Sienna’s mouth in a rush. “Olivia’s in labor. She’s in the ER right now. She was in a car accident and isn’t badly hurt, but it triggered labor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, Ethan felt his heart stop. His throat clenched, suddenly dry with worry. He didn’t remember breaking into a run, but the hallways of the hospital blurred past him as his feet carried him to the ER.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made his way to the closed curtain in the corner and shoved it aside, finding Olivia resting on the bed with Bryce standing at her side. She held an ice pack to her bruised temple, clutching her stomach with her other hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia looked up, her eyes wide with panic. “Ethan, it’s… it’s too soon for this to happen! I’m not supposed to have the C-section for two more weeks! My… my water broke in the cab…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh…” Unsure if he was trying to calm himself or her, Ethan took her face into his hands and met her worried eyes. “Everything’s going to be okay. I want you to take a deep breath and focus on me. Okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Breathing shakily, she tried to take a deep breath. The heart monitor next to her beeped sharply, indicating her rising blood pressure. She winced when a contraction tore through her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan looked up, forcing his voice to remain steady for her sake. “Lahela, who’s on the OR floor right now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tanaka, but he’s in a heart transplant right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Scrub in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bryce’s eyes widened. “Are you sure? I’m her friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bryce, please. We can’t risk waiting too long,” Olivia pleaded, her voice trembling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bryce took one look into his best friend’s panicked eyes and nodded. “Alright. I’ll do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking Olivia’s hand into his own, Ethan let out a small sigh of relief. “How nervous will you be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More nervous than I’d be operating on a stranger, but I can do it. I promise,” Bryce assured him. “Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan moved to the head of the bed. He kept a firm grip on Olivia’s hand as they rushed to the available operating room. Her hand clutched his tightly, seeking the reassurance. When they reached the OR, she squeezed her eyes shut against the threat of tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey…” Ethan’s hand cradled her cheek. “Everything will be alright. Please try to believe me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m trying…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He helped her turn onto her side so she could receive the injection for the spinal block. Olivia gripped his hand, wincing when the needle pierced her skin. She let out a long sigh as Ethan gently turned her onto her back again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sensing her need for comfort, Ethan brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Talk to me. Try not to focus on the risks right now. Tell me the likelihood of both babies being fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia’s face furrowed in thought as she wracked her mind. “Babies delivered at 35 weeks have a 99 percent chance of survival, presuming that they </span>
  <span> this isn’t your first time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve done one solo and assisted on three. I can do this,” Bryce assured him. He took a deep breath and firmly gripped the correct scalpel. “Ready to make the first incision.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan rested his hand on Olivia’s cheek. His thumb gently grazed her jaw. “Bryce is starting now. Focus on me and think about the fact that in just a few minutes, the babies will be here and they’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia leaned into his hand and drew in a long breath. With the numbing agent, she couldn’t feel the incisions. She squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on Ethan’s fingers raking gently through her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The minutes that passed ticked by agonizingly as she tried to think about anything other than the chance of something beyond their control going wrong. Her racing heart slowed just a little, allowing some of the tension to leave her body when Bryce announced that they were in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything’s going fine. Just keep hanging in there, okay? I can see the first baby,” Bryce assured her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hear that?” Ethan laced his fingers through hers. “They’ll be out soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Olivia nodded, her movements slowing a little. The monitor next to her beeped as her blood pressure suddenly started to drop, first to a normal rate and then a little lower. Ethan frowned, worry etching his features.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her BP is dropping. She could become hypotensive.” He knew the complication was common during cesareans and that there was only a minimal chance of serious risks, but that didn’t stop his heart from racing faster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bryce picked up the pace a little, keeping his hands steady as he finished the incision and instructed one of the other residents to place the clamps. “We’re ready to get baby number one out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moments later, a cry rang through the operating room as Bryce removed the first baby. When Bryce passed the newborn to him, Ethan reacted with an instinct he didn’t know he had and immediately cradled his son in his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan’s heart skipped a beat, swelling with affection. Olivia blinked groggily before slipping into unconsciousness. His throat tightened with anxiety as he reluctantly surrendered the newborn to a nurse for an examination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Olivia.” He firmly patted her cheek, torn between fear and relief when she let out a subconscious groan in response. A minute later, he looked up as Bryce removed the second baby.</span>
</p><p>For a long moment, time slowed to a crawl when the baby remained quiet. Just as Ethan felt his chest clench with panic, the newborn emitted a loud cry that made him weak in the knees. He held his arms out, accepting his daughter into them. His heart stuttered in his chest as he gazed down at the fussing baby.</p><p>
  <span>He held her for a few moments before letting the nurses take her. His mind swam with mixed emotions as he returned to Olivia’s side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan waited nervously as Bryce closed her up. A relieved sigh escaped him when Olivia’s blood pressure started to creep towards normal. “Bryce?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good work.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Olivia was transferred into a private room, Ethan stepped into the hallway. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and started the call. “Dad? If you’re not busy, you might want to make a trip to Boston…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is everything okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your grandchildren were just born. I thought I’d… did you already hang up?” Shaking his head, Ethan slipped his phone back into his pocket and looked up as Naveen approached him, a wide grin on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just heard some gossip that my two favorite employees just became parents.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ethan nodded, unable to stop a wide smile from forming on his face. Naveen pulled him into a hug, squeezing him tight. Ethan returned it, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat. “Olivia passed out during the C-section, but she’ll be okay. She should be awake in just a couple of minutes.”</span>
</p><p><span>“I won’t keep you from her. I’ll come meet those babies later. You go be with your family.” Naveen released him and squeezed his shoulder. </span> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” The smile never left Ethan’s face as he quietly slipped back into the room to check on Olivia and the babies.</span>
</p><p>His family.</p><p>
  <span>He liked the sound of that.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter Seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Olivia awoke, she groaned softly and touched her abdomen. A soft gasp escaped her as her eyes shot open and searched the room. She turned her head to see Ethan sitting in the chair near her bed, his expression soft as he gazed down into the bassinet next to him. </p><p>“Ethan?”</p><p>He looked up and smiled, relief relaxing his features. “How do you feel?”</p><p>Ignoring his question, she held her arms out expectantly. “Babies. Now,” she demanded firmly.</p><p>With gentle caution, Ethan handed her one baby at a time, settling them in her arms. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching as an affectionate smile formed on her lips and her eyes glistened. </p><p>“They’re beautiful…” She swallowed the lump in her throat. Even if it was medically impossible, she convinced herself that her heart grew ten sizes in that moment. </p><p>“And they’re healthy. They’ll need to stay a week for monitoring, but they’re going to be just fine.”</p><p>“Thank god.” Olivia cuddled the newborns close. Her heart skipped when they wiggled closer to her and snuggled into her chest. “Hi, guys…”</p><p>Ethan brushed a strand of messy hair from her face, his hand gently brushing against the bruise on her temple. “Now that you’ve met them, tell me how you’re feeling.”</p><p>“My incision is sore and I have a headache, but that’s it. I don’t remember much after we went into the OR.”</p><p>He nodded. “You have a minor concussion from the cab accident. Your blood pressure dropped during the C-section, so you passed out. You scared the hell out of me with that, by the way.”</p><p>“That’s common during C-sections.”</p><p>“I know. But it’s easy to forget that when it’s someone you love.”</p><p>Her eyes softened as she leaned up to give him a soft kiss. “I love you, too.” </p><p>“Just promise that you won’t terrify me again anytime soon.”</p><p>“I promise.” The smile didn’t fade as she glanced back down at the sleepy babies in her arms. “Everything went fine?”</p><p>“It did. If we’d waited another hour, we might have had a different outcome entirely. Jonah was still in the transverse lie position. With a vaginal birth, he would have almost certainly gotten tangled in the umbilical cord. But Bryce handed the procedure just fine.”</p><p>She shuddered a little and held the twins a little closer. “We really owe Bryce one.”</p><p>Ethan slipped his arm around her. “I called our families. They wanted to give us some time, but Dad will be coming by later. Your mom said she would schedule the next flight to Boston.” </p><p>Olivia nodded, passing him one of the twins. “I’d like some company later.” </p><p>“I figured as such.” Ethan tightened his arm around her. His other arm held the baby securely to his chest. “And I agree, because right now there are three very important people I want to spend alone time with.”</p><p>At his choice of words, Olivia’s smile widened. “That’s going on the Cute Stuff Ethan Says list.”</p><p>“There’s a list?”</p><p>“There’s a list,” she confirmed, her eyes twinkling with mischief. She rested her head on his shoulder and took a closer look at the sleeping newborns. “They’re in that newborn phase where they look like potatoes. The most beautiful potatoes I’ve ever seen, but still potatoes.”</p><p>“Is this the part where we try to predict which one of us they look like?”</p><p>“I think it’s the part where we make sure we still like the names we picked out.” Olivia kissed their son’s fuzzy head. “Do you?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“Me too. And just to make things perfectly clear, I’m not putting them down anytime in the next…. half hour, at least.”</p><p>Ethan let out a low chuckle, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “I didn’t think that was on the agenda anytime soon.” </p><p>“It’s not.” Olivia looked down at both babies and grinned proudly. “Welcome to the world, Zoey and Jonah.”</p><p>Later that evening, there was a quiet knock on the door. Ethan got up and opened the door, stepping aside to let his dad into the room. “Do you want to meet your grandchildren?”</p><p>Alan nodded, smiling as he gazed down into the bassinet where the twins lay. “There they are.”</p><p>“Do you want to hold them?” Ethan gestured to the available chair. When Alan sat down, Ethan carefully settled the babies in his arms.</p><p>Alan grinned at his newborn grandchildren. “Aren’t you two adorable?”</p><p>Olivia took Ethan’s hand into her own. “Their names are Zoey Dolores and Jonah Alan.”</p><p>“Those are perfect.” Alan’s eyes softened. </p><p>“Do you think they look like Ethan?”</p><p>Alan nodded, immediately recognizing the resemblance between his grandson and Ethan. “Jonah looks almost identical to him when he was born. He has his nose and mouth. He’s just smaller. Ethan was a big baby.”</p><p>“He still is sometimes.” Olivia smiled teasingly and gave Ethan’s hand a squeeze.</p><p>Alan returned his attention to the twins, who blinked groggily. “Hi there. I’m going to spoil the two of you rotten, and when you’re older, I can tell you plenty of embarrassing stories about your father.”</p><p>“I’d like to hear those, too,” Olivia agreed. </p><p>Ethan rolled his eyes. “Why am I even surprised?”</p><p>Alan stayed for several minutes until the twins dozed off again. Ethan settled them in the bassinet and walked into the hallway with his dad. </p><p>“Thanks for coming, Dad.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. You call me the second you need a babysitter.” Alan pulled him into a tight hug. “You’re gonna be a great dad.”</p><p>Ethan’s expression softened as he returned the hug. “Well… I learned from the best. That should help.”</p><p>Alan grinned and squeezed his shoulder. “Stop that now. You’ll make me blush.”</p><p>He let out a soft chuckle. He talked to his father for another minute before he returned to Olivia’s room, finding the visitor’s chair occupied by Naveen. Olivia watched fondly as Naveen held the twins. </p><p>Naveen glanced at Ethan with a proud smile. “I was just getting to know my great-grand proteges.” </p><p>Olivia’s mouth curled into a wide smile. “I can already see them in five years, getting into mischief in the halls of Edenbrook.” </p><p>“I’d expect nothing less.” Naveen looked down at the twins. “The three of us are going to get into some trouble around here, aren’t we? I know of some perfect tricks we can play on your dad in a few years.”</p><p>“I’ll make sure to stay on guard.” Ethan sat down on the bed and gave Olivia’s hand a squeeze. Naveen held the babies for several minutes before he gently settled them back in the bassinet. </p><p>Once Naveen left, Olivia yawned. “Bryce and Sienna are going to be our last visitors of the night.”</p><p>Ethan nodded. “All three of you need to rest.”</p><p>“Well, they’ve been sleeping most of the evening. Getting born must have taken a lot out of them.”</p><p>“I imagine it did.” Ethan reached into the bassinet and gently touched each baby on the hand. In response, they furrowed their brows but remained half-asleep.</p><p>A few minutes later, a soft knock on the door indicated Bryce and Sienna’s arrival. Olivia called them inside. Sienna’s hand flew to her mouth when she peered into the twins’ bassinet.</p><p>“Oh my god, they’re so precious!” </p><p>Bryce grinned. “I just thought I’d formally introduce myself to them now that we’re not in the OR.”</p><p>“Considering the fact that you pretty much saved the day, I think that’s necessary.” Olivia nodded toward the bassinet. “You guys can hold them. There’s one for each of you.”</p><p>Sienna beamed as she carefully picked up one of the babies. “They’re so sweet. I knew they would be, but they’re even cuter than I imagined.”</p><p>Bryce picked up the other twin. “Hey. I’m gonna be your fun Uncle Bryce, and I’m gonna put you two up to a lot of mischief when you get older. And nobody will be able to get mad since you’re cute.”</p><p>Olivia laughed. “I don’t think they’re too concerned about wreaking havoc just yet.”</p><p>“Yet.” </p><p>After Bryce and Sienna left, their visitors stopped for the evening to give them some time to spend with their babies and for Olivia to rest. The babies started fussing, undoubtedly hungry.</p><p>“I think they’re ready for some dinner. I guess all that lying around looking cute for their visitors made them work up an appetite.”</p><p>After preparing two bottles, she and Ethan each took one of the twins. Olivia held Zoey in the crook of her arm, shifting her into position. Then she gently nudged Zoey’s lips with the bottle nipple until the newborn latched on.</p><p>“There we go…” Olivia encouraged as Zoey took little sips from the bottle. “How’s Jonah doing?”</p><p>“He’s trying to chug it and getting annoyed that the bottle doesn’t work that way.”</p><p>“So he’s an enthusiastic eater. I guess he takes after me.” Olivia couldn’t contain a playful smile. “It’s kinda adorable seeing the stoic, giraffe sized Dr. Ramsey feeding a tiny baby.”</p><p>Ethan arched a brow, feigning offense. “Giraffe sized?”</p><p>“Yup.” Olivia held the bottle steady as Zoey continued to suck. Soon, she finished and furrowed her little face in disappointment. “Yeah, that’s how I look when I’m eating and I realize it’s all gone.”</p><p>She grabbed one of the burp cloths from the nightstand and covered her shoulder with it. Then she shifted her daughter to her shoulder and started to pat her back until Zoey let out a tiny burp. </p><p>“How impolite of you. Where are your manners?”</p><p>Ethan laughed. “Aren’t you cute.”</p><p>“Says the man who’s walking around the room burping his son,” she retorted, cuddling Zoey to her chest. Once Ethan successfully burped Jonah, he sat down on the bed and wrapped his arm around her.</p><p>Olivia rested her head on his shoulder. She reached over with one hand and offered Jonah her finger. A moment later, his little fingers curled around hers with surprising strength. “I’m so glad they’re okay.”</p><p>“They’ll need to stay about a week for monitoring, but they should be fine to go home when you’re discharged.”</p><p>“Good. I can’t wait to take them home.”</p><p>“Me neither.”</p><p>At that, her eyes lit up. “Really? You’re looking forward to staying up half the night on diaper duty?”</p><p>“Really.” He nodded. “The first few weeks are crucial, even if most of that time is spent changing diapers and watching them sleep.”</p><p>“I think maternity leave will be much more enjoyable now that they’re actually here.” Olivia let Ethan put the twins in their bassinet. She scooted further under the covers and yawned.</p><p>“I think it’s time for you to get some rest.”</p><p>“I think so, too.” She tilted her head back and caught his lips in a gentle kiss before she closed her eyes. Exhausted from the events of the day, she soon slipped into sleep.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>Despite having to feed and change both twins in the middle of the night, they successfully made it through the first night in the hospital.</p><p>Upon waking up, Olivia insisted on having a high-cholesterol breakfast and a large iced coffee for the first time in months. She sighed in contentment as she ate some of her scrambled eggs and washed it down with a swig of the iced vanilla coffee.</p><p>“I forgot how much I love overly sweetened cups of caffeine.”</p><p>Ethan rolled his eyes, amused. “You enjoy that. I’ll stick with my usual.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, you’re too good to drink iced vanilla lattes in late November.”  Just as she finished her breakfast, a knock on the door alerted them of their first visitors of the morning. “Come in!”</p><p>The door opened, revealing Ines, trailed by Zaid. “We just had to come meet these babies. Everybody is talking about them!”</p><p>Olivia gestured to the bassinet, where both twins napped after their morning feeding. “There they are.”</p><p>Ines grinned. “Aww… Zaid, look! They’re adorable!”</p><p>“Yes. They’re delightful.”</p><p>“That’s Zaid for ‘they’re the cutest babies we’ve ever seen, and we would love to babysit.’”</p><p>“It is?” Zaid blinked. “Oh. It is. Yes.”</p><p>Olivia nodded. “We’ll definitely keep that in mind. I can see Zaid as a professional babysitter as a side job.”</p><p>“No, you cannot.”</p><p>Ines laughed. “Well, we just wanted to come see them. And we’re really proud of our favorite resident. Aren’t we, Zaid?”</p><p>“We’re bursting at the seams with pride and joy. Hooray.”</p><p>Ines rolled her eyes. “Don’t let him fool you. That’s actually genuine excitement.”</p><p>“I believe it.” Olivia grinned. When Zaid and Ines left, she leaned over the bassinet to admire the sleeping newborns. “I can’t believe they’ve already been out of me for eighteen hours.”</p><p>“How are you feeling?”</p><p>“I’m a little sore around the incision, but nothing unbearable. I do want to get out of here and take them home soon, though. I want to show them their polar bear nursery and finish putting up the Christmas decorations even though they won’t understand a word I’m saying.”</p><p>Ethan chuckled. “If everything continues to go well, all three of you will go home on Friday.”</p><p> “Yay. I’m getting a little stir crazy in this room.”</p><p>Zoey interrupted them with an unhappy whimper, her face pinching. Ethan freed her from the bassinet before she had a chance to wake up Jonah. She fussed for a few moments before she sighed and snuggled into his chest.</p><p>“I think someone is already getting attached to Daddy.” Olivia scooped Jonah up and held him. He opened his eyes and blinked lazily a couple of times before he huffed and went back to sleep. “And I think Jonah likes to sleep in. We’ll get along just fine, then.”</p><p>She couldn’t wait to take them home.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I may have forgotten that I posted this here. Oops. The sequel is in the works and on semi-hiatus on Tumblr, lol.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In the middle of the night, a whimper echoed through the baby monitor. Olivia groggily opened one eye, sighing when she saw 2:17 AM glaring at her from the clock.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll go,” Ethan whispered against her ear. He slipped out of bed and quietly left the room. He made his way to the nursery, where Jonah fussed in his crib. He picked him up and checked his diaper, finding it damp. Jonah fussed as Ethan cleaned and changed him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His tiny face pinched in an unhappy pout. Ethan settled him against his chest and gently patted his back. “Shh… we don’t want to wake up your sister.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If she weren’t five days old, Ethan would have sworn Zoey understood his words even in sleep. A few moments later, she started fussing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan picked her up and carefully held both babies in his arms. He sat down in the rocking chair and moved back and forth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jonah furrowed his brow and yawned. He blinked drowsily and curled his hands into fists. With another yawn, he closed his eyes and turned his face toward Ethan’s chest. The motion made Ethan’s face soften.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There you go…” he murmured. Once Jonah was quiet, Ethan turned his attention to Zoey, the more restless sleeper of the two. “Shh…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zoey let out a stubborn huff, still whimpering. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shh… everything’s okay… you’re going to be the more stubborn one, aren’t you? Your mom is going to insist you inherited that from me, but I think you get it from her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he spoke quietly, Zoey’s whimpers paused. Ethan continued, keeping his voice low and soothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re beautiful like her, too. You’re going to look just like her when you grow up.” As Zoey settled down, Ethan directed his attention to both of them. “I know both of you will be stubborn and mischievous, but so smart and kind.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the bedroom, Olivia listened half-asleep, a wide smile forming on her face as she barely made out his words through the baby monitor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If I’m honest… I don’t know much about being a parent. I suppose it’s something I’ll learn as we go on. I’ve never really believed in love at first sight. Even with your mom, it took spending time together and getting to know each other before I fell for her. But when that inevitably happened, I fell hard.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He leaned back in the chair, rocking back and forth. Even as the babies drifted to sleep, he kept speaking quietly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I understand now that there are different types of love. And I knew from the moment I laid eyes on the two of you that I’ll always love and protect you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan looked down, realizing Jonah and Zoey were both snoring softly. He pressed a light kiss to each of their foreheads before he settled them in their cribs. For a moment, he lingered between the cribs and gazed down at them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodnight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Quietly, he left the nursery and returned to the bedroom. As soon as he crawled into bed, Olivia rolled over and slung her arm across him. When he heard her sniffle, his eyes widened with panic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you crying?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” She let out a huff and wiped her hand across her eyes. In the moonlight gently bathing their room, Ethan could make out the smile on her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You,” she accused, pointing at the monitor on their nightstand. “Being adorable and saying a bunch of really sweet stuff. And I still have hormones that make me cry over cute things.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan slipped an arm around her and drew her against his side. He pressed a kiss to her temple and rubbed her back. “I knew you could hear me, but I think I forgot about that as I went on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m glad I overheard all that. It was sweet.” Olivia snuggled into his side and rested her head on his chest. “And it worked. They probably like hearing your voice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded and ran his fingers through her hair. “They’re surprisingly good listeners. I know they don’t understand words yet, but I’ve read studies. Babies usually take comfort in hearing familiar voices, even as newborns.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia smiled and found his hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze. “I don’t know why you worry so much. You’re already a wonderful father.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan fell silent for a long moment. His chin rested on the top of her head. “I love you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you, too.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Despite the long nights of learning to get their babies on a steady sleep schedule, the first few weeks soared past them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It only took two nights for them to realize they’d have to regulate the twins’ sleeping habits before they could expect to get any rest with the babies sharing a nursery. They set up the portable crib next to their bed. One baby would sleep there while the other slept in the nursery. The next night, they would switch so both babies could spend time close to their parents. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By Christmas, Olivia lost track of the diapers they’d been through. She had been certain the stock from their baby shower would suffice for a while, but it seemed to her that every time she blinked, they were using the last clean diaper. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door to the apartment opened as Ethan walked inside, holding two large boxes of diapers. He set them down and joined her on the couch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That should last until New Year’s.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hopefully. We were down to three left and it doesn’t take much to go through that many.” Olivia leaned into him and nuzzled his neck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are they still asleep?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm hmm. That could change any second, though.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan let his hand run down her arm. His brow furrowed in thought as he gazed at the gifts under their tree. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to give you one of your gifts tonight. I’m getting rather impatient.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia arched a brow and sat upright. “You? Impatient about a Christmas present? It must be something really good, then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is.” Ethan reached far under the tree. His fingers closed around a box. He kept it hidden behind his back as he turned to face her. Suddenly nervous, he inhaled deeply and lowered to one knee. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia’s eyes widened. “Ethan, are you doing what I think you’re doing?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan took her hand into his and looked up to meet her eyes. “If you think I’m proposing to you on Christmas Eve… your prediction is right. I could have planned an elaborate dinner and night out, but something told me you’d be just as happy with this, perhaps even happier.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded wordlessly, her breath hitching in her throat as he continued. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know we’ve already decided that we want to spend the rest of our lives together. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have seen any point in documenting that on a piece of paper and having a ceremony. But sometimes, opinions change. Including mine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia laughed softly. “How technical.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you, and when you’re happy, so am I. I want to marry you and watch you walk down the aisle. This time last year, I never would have thought that we would be living together, raising twins. it still scares me sometimes, I don’t regret any of it. Will you marry me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In response, Olivia threw her arms around him, almost making him fall backwards. She kissed him deeply and touched her forehead to his, smiling tearfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does that answer your question?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan laughed quietly, letting out a relieved breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I interpret that as a yes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell yes,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Olivia corrected as they moved back to the couch. Ethan took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her left ring finger. Olivia grinned as she admired the way the stone reflected the lights from their tree.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you like it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you kidding? I’m gonna show it off to everyone when I get back to work. I get to baby pictures and this rock to everyone within a fifty foot radius.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Amused, Ethan smiled. “Is sending daily pictures to half of the continent not enough?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s absolutely not enough.” She leaned into his side and nestled her head against his shoulder. “When did you buy the ring?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve had it for a few weeks. I thought you might like a Christmas proposal, so I held onto it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know me well. I got proposed to and didn’t even have to take off my pajamas.” The grin never left her face as she hugged him tight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just as they settled comfortably on the couch, a set of whimpers echoed through the baby monitor. Olivia separated herself from Ethan’s side and left the room. She returned a minute later with both babies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sat down and made her lips as she talked to their kids. “I know I’ll just have to tell you this story again once you’re old enough to know what I’m talking about, but guess what? Mommy and Daddy are getting married.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re being cute.” Ethan held his arms out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And? Your point?” Olivia passed Jonah to him and curled up against his side. “You’re being pretty cute yourself, considering the fact that you’re holding a baby version of yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they settled more comfortably on the couch, a peaceful quiet fell between them. After a while, Olivia spoke up. “I know we’ll open presents tomorrow, but I do want to give you one tonight. It won’t top a proposal, but you’ll like it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They tucked Jonah and Zoey into the little rocking swings they kept near the couch. Olivia reached under the tree and handed Ethan a small package. She leaned back, watching with excitement as he untied the bow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just thought it would give you something to take back to work next week.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan opened the box and moved aside the tissue paper to reveal a framed picture of the babies in Christmas outfits. “When did you take this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A couple weeks ago during one of your late night diaper runs. It took a lot of tears and failed attempts to get them to stay like that for the picture. The babies may have cried a little, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed, his eyes tender as he studied the picture. “The picture looks beautiful. They are incredibly photogenic.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re the most photogenic babies I’ve ever met.” Olivia sat on his knee and cradled his jaw in her hand. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Merry Christmas.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan looped his arms around her waist and returned her kiss. “Merry Christmas.”</span>
  <span>She rubbed her thumb against his jaw and deepened the kiss. A few moments later, an unhappy whimper interrupted them. “To be continued?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To be continued.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ethan didn’t realize how hard it would be to settle back into his old routine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the last twelve years of his life, he’d spent more time at Edenbrook than home. When he thought about it, the time he spent at home on his paternity leave probably surpassed the time he spent home in twelve years.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He already missed it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bored and homesick three hours into his shift, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It didn’t help matters that he didn’t have a case yet, so he was almost certain the end of his shift would never arrive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He glanced up to give his eyes a break from the journal on his lap. As he did, his focus fell on the framed picture Olivia had given him of the twins for Christmas. His features relaxed, his mouth giving way to a soft smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Almost as if she could detect his boredom from home, his phone rang with a Facetime call from Olivia. Relieved, Ethan answered it with a quickness that had her snickering as soon as her face appeared on the screen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you bored out of your mind yet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan tried to bite back a grin. “What gave it away?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well, you answered my call at work in record time, and you’re sitting with your pouty posture.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pouty posture?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Olivia nodded, sitting upright on the couch. “You have a way of sitting when you’re bored and pouting about it. You slump and sulk and it’s kinda cute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do no such thing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you insist.” Grinning, Olivia stood up and angled her phone so Ethan could see the twins napping in the portable crib they kept in the living room. “I didn’t think I could get them to sleep on my own, but I managed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I knew you could.” He smiled affectionately at the image of their sleeping babies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t easy. Jonah went right to sleep, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>someone </span>
  </em>
  <span>only wants to go to sleep for her daddy, so that was an effort. How’s your first day back?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan chuckled. “I might be feeling slightly homesick.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww.” She grinned. “So you miss us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not denying anything.” Ethan’s pager buzzed, notifying him that his patient was arriving. “I need to go, but I’ll see you this evening. I love you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Love you, too.” Olivia hung up. Already bored, Ethan sighed and slipped his phone into his pocket before he got back to work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That evening, he quietly slipped into the apartment to avoid waking their possibly sleeping twins. He smiled softly when instead, they were awake and making content little noises as they rested in their rocking swing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia leaned up, welcoming him with a warm kiss. “How was the rest of your day?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He returned her kiss, looping his arms around her waist. “It was better once I had a case to work on, but I missed being home.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who are you and what have you done with Ethan Ramsey?” Olivia’s hands flew to her mouth in fake surprise. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan rolled his eyes and kissed her again before he carefully lifted the twins from their swing. He sat down on the couch, cuddling them in his arms. Olivia sat next to him and grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look so cute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What can I say? I may have missed them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.” She slipped her arm around his waist and rested her chin on his shoulder. “I ordered delivery for dinner. I’m also giving you the honors of diaper duty for the rest of the night.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll accept that duty.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“You two cannot run through this house naked!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan let out a laugh as the threat rang through the house the moment he stepped into the living room. Zoey and Jonah toddled down the hall, unclothed. He caught them and picked them up, chuckling when they squirmed and tried to get down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I got them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia sighed as she joined him in the living room. “Ever since they learned how to run, they’ve become escape artists. And they’ve figured out how to take their diapers off way too early.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see that.” Ethan took one of the outfits from her and helped her get the mischievous babies into clean diapers and clothes. “How was your day off?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boring until they woke up from their nap. Since then, Jonah dumped out his baby food, Zoey used one of my bras as a hat, and they joined forces to destroy a roll of toilet paper. I think they’re hitting the terrible twos a few months early.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan chuckled, leaning back when Zoey tried to grab his nose. “We might need to reassess our baby-proofing techniques.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think so. Nothing is safe from their reach.” Olivia finished dressing Zoey and released her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zoey flung herself at Ethan. “Dada!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zoey.” Ethan picked her up, only for her to squirm a moment later to be set down. He kissed her head before putting her back on the floor. She squealed and started chasing her brother, who broke into giggles and took off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia snorted in amusement and flopped onto the couch. “I put the gates up, so they can’t go far unless they figure out how to catapult themselves over the gates.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t put it past them.” Ethan sat down next to her and slipped his arm around her. When she rested her head on his shoulder, he pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “As chaotic as your day off was, mine was boring.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll find out just how wild they are when you get them to yourself next week.” Olivia propped her feet up and yawned dramatically. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just as she made herself comfortable, she heard the unmistakable sound of a baby gate crashing to the floor, followed by a combination of shrieks and laughter. She sighed and poked Ethan’s arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You get to investigate that one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I do?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chuckling, Ethan got up and headed in the direction of the suspicious sound. Sure enough, the twins had managed to knock over the gate banishing them from the bathroom. He scooped them up just before they could open the toilet lid, undoubtedly so they could flush the pacifier in Jonah’s fist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think so.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They huffed and squirmed, reaching their tiny hands in desperation toward the toilet. Ethan snorted in amusement and carried them to the living room. As he sat down, he settled them on the couch and tickled their sides.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both toddlers erupted into a fit of giggles. They pawed at his hands, squealing. Olivia laughed when they reached their hands toward her in a plea for mercy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why would I save you?” she teased. Suddenly she smirked mischievously. “I bet we can talk Daddy into making chicken for dinner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm!” Jonah rolled across Ethan’s lap and grinned. “Chicken!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Zoey joined in, Olivia snickered. “Sounds like they want you to cook, too. How are you gonna get out of this one?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t remember saying I would try to get out of it.” Smiling, Ethan stood up and made his way to the kitchen, closely trailed by the kids who he was certain wanted to get into mischief the moment he had his attention on cooking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia followed, amused when Jonah and Zoey sat on the floor to watch Ethan cook. “I think Daddy’s Kitchen is their favorite live show.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure it’s a nice break from kid’s TV.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, I like Sesame Street,” Olivia defended, feigning offense as she helped him set out the ingredients. The twins watched in fascination as their parents seasoned and stuffed the chicken, then put it in the oven.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While the chicken cooked, Ethan and Olivia took the twins to the nursery to keep them busy. They sat down and watched as Zoey and Jonah stacked their blocks into a tower.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And in three, two…. one,” Olivia counted, timing it perfectly as Jonah swiped at the tower. It toppled to the floor, sending both kids into hysterics. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zoey picked up a stuffed giraffe and held it up. One of Ethan’s old ties was looped around its plush neck. “Dada!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan shook his head. “That looks nothing like me, sweetheart.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It kind of does, actually. He just needs a white coat and he’ll be your twin.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How funny.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow brimming with energy even after a full day of mischief, Zoey and Jonah played until the oven’s timer rang. The sound caught their attention and they abandoned their toys to make a mad dash for the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s me when I find out the food’s ready, too,” Olivia laughed. She leaned up and stole a quick kiss from her husband before she followed them into the kitchen. Ethan took the chicken out of the oven and checked it before he set it out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia put the twins in their high chairs and fixed them each a plate, cutting the chicken into tiny pieces. She gave them each a sippy cup of juice and made sure the lids were intact before setting the cups on their trays.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jonah immediately picked up his cup and shook it. He huffed in annoyance when the contents remained safely inside the cup. “No!“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. Spill-proof cups are the greatest invention known to man. I could have used those at keggers in college.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan rolled his eyes as they sat down to eat. “Only in college?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, rude. I’m not that messy.” Olivia grinned. “At least not as messy as they are.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just as she suspected, Jonah and Zoey ended up wearing a good portion of their dinner. She and Ethan finished their meal and carried the messy twins to the bathroom, where they stripped them of their soiled clothes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No baf!” Zoey darted away in a last-second attempt to escape the bathroom, but Olivia caught her and put her in the bubbly water. Zoey’s face curled into a pout for a moment before she sighed and surrendered, entertaining herself with the bubbles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jonah grabbed a rubber duck and squeezed it before he tossed it out of the tub. “Uh oh!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever did that duck do to deserve that?” Ethan picked it up and handed it back to his son.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jonah squeaked the duck before chucking it across the bathroom. “Uh oh!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh oh!” Zoey echoed, grabbing another toy and throwing it in the same direction as the duck. Olivia took their moment of distraction to scrub a small amount of shampoo onto their scalps. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When both kids were clean, Ethan drained the tub and lifted Zoey out. Olivia grabbed Jonah before he could try to escape the tub on his own. They dried off the toddlers and dressed them in clean pajamas.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite their seemingly endless energy, Jonah and Zoey both settled down as soon as their parents sat on the little couch they’d set up in the nursery. They snuggled in between their parents as Olivia rummaged through a stack of books.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What story are we reading tonight?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mouse!” the twins echoed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? That one always leaves me on the edge of my seat.” Olivia found the requested book and handed it to Ethan. “And I think Daddy gets to read tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you just saying that because you like listening, too?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did you know?” Chuckling, Olivia pulled Jonah into her lap while Zoey crawled into Ethan’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan turned to the first page and started to read, his voice soft and soothing. “If you give a mouse a cookie…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Listening intently, Jonah and Zoey relaxed. They tried to stifle yawns as they leaned back against their parents. As Ethan read, they gazed at the pictures through half-open eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time he finished the book, both toddlers had fallen asleep. Ethan set the book aside and helped Olivia tuck them into their cribs. They kissed their foreheads before quietly leaving the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just a matter of time before they figure out how to get out of their cribs.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia shook her head. “Don’t remind me. The thought of them being able to roam the house freely in the dead of night is horrifying.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan chuckled as they curled up on the couch. “Do you still want another one?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia nodded, remembering her baby fever phase shortly after the twins’ first birthday. “Maybe once they’re out of the Energizer Bunny toddler phase.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I agree.” Ethan slipped his arm around her. She draped her arm across his chest and snuggled into his side. “I love you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you, too.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>One chapter left!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Final chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Their living room practically vanished under the presents and decorations.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As much as she’d always loved the holidays, Olivia’s Christmas enthusiasm skyrocketed now that they had kids to celebrate with. She grinned as she leaned into Ethan’s side, watching as Zoey and Jonah opened their gifts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think we went overboard this year?” she whispered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know we did,” Ethan admitted, smiling softly. “Don’t we always?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chuckling, she rested her head on his shoulder and propped her feet up on the coffee table while the kids unwrapped their presents, excitedly thanking their parents for their new toys and clothes</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the floor had vanished underneath all the gift wrap, Ethan reached under the tree and dug out two small presents. He handed one to each of the kids. “You two need to open these at the same time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jonah and Zoey unwrapped the boxes, and when Olivia counted down from three, they opened them to reveal new shirts. Olivia tried to bite back a grin as the twins read the captions on the shirts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Big sister?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Big brother?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the meaning registered, both kids gasped and dropped the shirts. Zoey stared up at her parents, her eyes wide.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you gonna have a baby?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia nodded, breaking into a grin. “Mm hmm. We found out last month, and you two are the first to know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jonah climbed onto the couch. “Are you having more twins?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just one baby this time.” Ethan drew his son into his lap. “The baby is due in June.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zoey joined them, putting her hand on her mom’s stomach. “Is that why your belly got a little bigger, Mommy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia rolled her eyes at her daughter’s bluntness. “Yep. But it was bigger than this when I had you and Jonah because twin babies make you bigger than one baby.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it a boy or girl?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t know yet, but we can find out next month”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay!” The twins hugged their parents before climbing down to play with their new toys. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I think Daddy is going to make us some muffins since he can somehow make those, but not pancakes.” Olivia smirked and grabbed Ethan’s hand, pulling him off the couch. “And also because Baby wants blueberry muffins.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan shook his head in amusement as he followed his wife into the kitchen. “I think they took the news well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think so, too,” Olivia agreed. “They’ve been asking for a brother or sister ever since Zaid and Ines brought Gabriella over. It helps that they’re old enough to be a little more independent now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan nodded as he set out the ingredients to make muffins. “They seemed really surprised.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think they were. They definitely weren’t expecting that.” Olivia yawned as she sat down to watch Ethan fix breakfast. When the muffins were done, Jonah and Zoey joined them in the kitchen to eat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zoey climbed into her seat and picked up a muffin. “Can we name the baby Elmo?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia shook her head. “We’re not naming your sibling Elmo.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Squidward,” Jonah suggested, giggling mischievously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think so.” Ethan ruffled his son’s hair as he joined his family at the table. “We’ll let you two help us pick names when the baby’s closer to being here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wish you were having twins again. Then we could both name a baby.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As much fun as that sounds, I don’t think the world is ready for another set of Ramsey twins.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zoey grinned. “We’re gonna teach the baby all kinds of stuff.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure by ‘teach,’ you mean get your little sibling into mischief or frame them for your own shenanigans.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jonah frowned. “How’d you know?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia had to laugh. “Your Uncle Jackson and I did that with your Aunt Lizzie all the time. So I know you two will do that, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zoey swallowed a bite of her muffin and drank her milk, getting a milk mustache on her upper lip. “Is the baby a secret?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was until now. We thought you could help us tell everyone else,” Ethan supplied, handing his messy daughter a napkin, which she ignored for the joy of licking her lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That evening, the kids paced impatiently as they waited for Alan. As soon as he arrived, they greeted him with enthusiastic hugs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Grandpa!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grinning, Alan leaned down and hugged his grandkids. “There’s my two favorite grandkids.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The twins shared a mischievous glance and tried to contain their giggles as they hugged him. “Merry Christmas!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Merry Christmas!” Alan set down the large bag containing their presents. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zoey tugged on Olivia’s sleeve. “Can we tell him now, Mommy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I suppose. Mom and Jackson and Lizzie won’t be here until later, so you can tell them when they get here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay.” Jonah and Zoey grabbed Alan’s hands and steered him to the couch. When he sat down, Zoey handed him a gift before she and her brother sat on either side of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He opened the present, digging through the tissue paper to find a picture frame with three photo slots. In the first two were recent pictures of Jonah and Zoey, with a third slot containing a note saying, “Baby Three.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alan grinned. “Are you telling me you two are getting a brother or sister?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Jonah nodded. “Mommy and Daddy told us this morning! They gave us the picture frame to paint for you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look at our shirts!” Zoey picked up the tee shirts and showed them to her grandfather before she and her brother left the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think this was a fun surprise for everyone, huh?” Alan hugged Ethan and Olivia. “Congratulations. Those two told me not long ago they’d been asking for a sibling.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia nodded. “They started asking last year when my nephew was born. Then they met our coworkers’ baby a few months ago and haven’t stopped asking since then.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ethan asked for a sibling until he met friends who had younger siblings. Then he made it very clear he liked being an only child.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Olivia laughed, reaching over to squeeze Ethan’s hand. “I’m sure those two will be less excited when the baby’s actually here and spends all its time pooping and sleeping.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A voice from down the hall interrupted them. “Daddy, Zoey took my iPad!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Olivia snorted and gently nudged Ethan toward the hall. “Duty calls.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Ethan didn’t think conferences could become any more boring, but the homesickness they induced proved him wrong.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A symposium in New York kept him away from home for three nights, which felt entirely too long for him. On his last night, his phone rang with an incoming Facetime call from Olivia’s phone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan answered it, and a moment later Zoey’s face filled the screen. “Hi, Daddy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi, baby.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi!” Jonah worked his way into the camera, waving at his dad. “Mommy’s pooping. She left her phone on the couch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan chuckled. “She should’ve known it would fall into the wrong hands.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you still coming home tomorrow, Daddy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am.” Ethan nodded. “But I may just decide to stay another day or two. I haven’t seen much of the hotel yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nuh uh! You’d miss us too bad!” Zoey accused, shaking her head in disbelief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Mommy even said you would probably get up early so you can come home,” Jonah added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right. I can’t fool you two, can I?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope!” Zoey shook her head. “What time are you gonna be home?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be home in the morning,” Ethan promised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay. We’re gonna go get a snack. Love you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Love you, Daddy!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Love you, too. I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the kids ended the call, Ethan set his phone aside to charge. Suddenly feeling even more impatient to go home, he readied himself for bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next morning, he quietly slipped into the house, knowing that Olivia and the kids were probably still asleep. He set his bags down and shut the door behind him, taking care not to make too much noise. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d been home a few minutes when bare feet padded down the hall. Jonah and Zoey rushed into the room, both still wearing their pajamas.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daddy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan’s heart melted as he caught Jonah and Zoey in his arms. He stood up, hugging them. “Hi, guys.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The twins hugged him excitedly as Olivia made her way into the room, yawning and smiling softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zoey kissed Ethan’s cheek. “Did you miss us?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did. Conferences aren’t any fun. I’d much rather be here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jonah hugged him. “Did you bring us anything?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why would I do that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cause you love us!” Zoey insisted, rolling her eyes as if her response explained everything. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm. I suppose I can’t argue with that.” Ethan set them down. “I left a bag for you in the living room. You’ll find two of everything, so no fighting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the kids left to investigate their souvenirs, Olivia wrapped her arms around Ethan’s neck. She leaned up and gave him a kiss. “I think you were missed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was mutual.” Ethan looped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her closer to himself. “But they weren’t the only ones I missed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah?” She stole another kiss. “We missed you, too. You’re home in time for today’s appointment.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I said I would be. I’m never wrong.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure.” Olivia squeezed his arm before releasing him. “My appointment is at noon. Your dad is taking the kids out for the day, so we have some time to ourselves. I’m thinking Japanese for lunch and maybe some baby shopping.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why did I just feel my wallet shrink?” Ethan teased, but there was no hiding the affection in his eyes. Once his dad arrived to spend the day with the twins, Ethan and Olivia left for her doctor’s appointment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Ethan drove to the clinic, Olivia rested her arm on the center console. A moment later, Ethan’s hand rested on top of hers. She glanced over at him and smiled softly. Her other hand went to her stomach, feeling the barely present bump.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even if her first pregnancy had been more than five years ago already, she couldn’t believe it was already time for round two.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The end!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoyed! This fic is posted in its entirety on Tumblr, so updates will be pretty quick! Kudos and comments are appreciated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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